Divided washer



June 22 1925, 1,589,455

0. s. BARNUM DIVIDED WASHER Filed August 31. 1921 Inventor Patented June 22, 1926.

QEEICE- o Iven s. seeming, oe AiLfiAiiifiiiA, CALIFORNIA.

DIVIDED Weenie- Application filed August 31, 192 1. Serial No. 497,119.

My invention relates to a washer designed to serve as a cushion or packing in an axlehearing or' joint, and diflering from the ordinary, type of washer in that it may be placed in""desired position and removed therefrom without dismembering the "bean or joint fin any degree. This I accom- Jl'sh "dividing" the washerbody into halves and joiningthesame in a; manner" to allow said halvesto be separated to'stra' ddle ti axie dr joii itp'in, andth'e-n' returned to normal position of 'a'pposition"'to' surround Iprefer to stamp my device. from flat svringsteiel, eacli of the washer halves being provided with a projecting perforated lug and l ing'edtogether by means of a pivot th "gh 'said"perforations. By this conl t-ion the halves may" be separated'by manipulation oft-he fingers tdstraddle an a'eie 'or'joint pin, then pushed back into normal closedpo'si'tion surrounding the same, and removnbly'locked in 'such position at will; i

'The advantages of such a divided washer areevident'intlie construction of an automobile, for instance, where the brake-rodlever joints comprise a rod with spanning end; a lever arm bearing therein, a bearing pin passing therethrough and fixed by a cotter. To take up side play in such a joint it has been common practice to dismember the joint by removing the cotter, withdrawing the pin. fitting an ordinary washer in place and then replacing" the pin'and cotter,-a procedure requiring considerable tune and much inconvenience.

\Viththis device a divided Washer may he selected'ot the proper thickness or gauge u; take up all side playfseparated by the fjngeis to straddle the pin, instantly slipped between the abutting surface's'ot the joint and removably fixed in position to completelj' s i rround the pin as do'esan ordinary washer. The invention will be readily understood firo n the folio ing description,"reference have he' t9" he 'ere t eet tfmes in which Figure l is a view of the complete and fbl d her normal closed-position. as were t n ee es locltjin'g' i reans COIDpTISi IIg*aITHUXili lt erfie r d "wit p i j ii e A, .j- "1,3; 4 I

tongue adapted to be bent into correspondlHg nOtCh QS provided in the periphery of the lugs of the washer halves.

Figure 2 is a view of the washer halves formed andstamped to be hinged through perforations in projecting lugs thereon provided; andt'sh'owingotf sets at' the junction of each Washer haliand its big, adapted to atfordi'alinement of said halves when i in normal closed position; andm'odified means of locking said-halves inolosedyposition.

Figure-3. is'a clian ietrica'l cross-section of the assembled washer, showingthe relation offtl' e'h'alves by reason otthe off-sets at the junctionotfivasher halves and lugs; the pivot pin on which said halves are hinged: andair'auxiliary Washer with a projecting tongue adapted to'serve as a'locking means when bent-into corresponding notches provided in said lugs.

Figure''is across section of a resilient tongue cut. in the body of the washer halves.

Figure 5 is a view'of the complete washer positioned'to straddlean axle or joint pin, showing an auxiliary washer, and notches in the lugs of both halves, adapted to be in apposition when the washer is closed. to re ceive the tongue of said auxiliary washer.

Figure 6 is a view of the complete and assembled washer, showing a modified form of: locking means and serrated corresponding distal ends of the halvesl Figure T shows an assembled washer with a modified form of locking means.

Referring more particularly to the (llilW- ings in which similar numerals indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures 1- i indicate separable halves of the washer; 11 indicate projecting lugs on halves 1"1";

10 indicates perforations through lugs 1-1 adapted to receive pivot pin 10:

2 indicates an orifice through the normally'clo's ed washer. adapted to receive a shaft, joint-pin or the like:

7 7 indicate multiple. tongues cut in the body of washer rhalres 13-1",- slightly offset from the plane of the washef aind formed crescentically in their longer dimension.

ad ap f 'dj' to increase the relative thickness of thewtish'er."

15 indicates an auxiliary washer prov ded with aperforation adapted to I'BQQIYQ pivot yand: u t r r q id w th aproi'eet n tongue adapted to be bent to enter notches 12l2 for locking purposes;

l6l71819 indicate modified forms of stamping the distal ends of halves l 1 to inter-lace. and avoid a gap between the same.

20-20 indicate. offsets at the junction of halves l1 with their respective lugs ll, adapted to afford alinement of said halves in an approximately exact plane when hinged on pivot 10 Line X-Y indicates the diameter of the washer body proper, beyond which lugs 1--l project.

The assemblingand operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings and following statement.

To fully understand the various features of my invention it must be borne in mind that objects somewhat in detail. are: to take up wear in bearings; to compensate for unevenness in bearing and joints when the same are drop-forged and lack accurate niachining: to absorb side thrust in shaft bearings and the like: and to prevent noise in loose or rattling joints. To accomplish. these objects it is essential that the washer be struck from exceedingly thin material. for instance, of spring steel of .006 and .010 gauge, as they are now being manufactored.

The use of such thin n'iaterial bars any ordinary means of hinging and providing locking means, and I have therefore devised the novel as well as essential features above set forth. namely, projecting perforated lugs l-l and pivot 10 therethrough for hinging means. To insure approximately exact alinement of halves l-l when moving on hinge pivot 10" I have provided oll'- sets 20---2tl at the junction of each washer half with its respective lug, said 'olfset beingequal to one-half of the thickness of the washer material. in opposite direction and transversely to the plane of the washer.

For locking'means I have provided an auxiliary washer with a protecting bendable tongue. to. approximate in diameter to that of the lug. adapted to be positioned on pivot 10 and against which said pivot is upset; and notches 12 12 in the ieriphery of lugs l"--l adapted to register when halve-v l1" are in normal closed position. Said notches are cut slightly V shaped in order that the advance of bendable tongue l5 of the auxiliary washer, may force the distal ends of halves l1 into closer approximation.

Joints like-those of brake rods in auto mobiles are seldom machined and the abutting surfaces are therefore, more or less rough and uneven; An ordinary flat washer could not take up such unevenness and eliminate s de play or end thrust Without inc-reasng friction, and to do so effectively a resiliency is necessary such as provided in my invention by tongues T7. These tongues, cut wholly within the body of the washer halves, are slightly oft-set from the plane thereof, variously directed, and crescent-ically formed in their longer dimension as illustrated in the drawings. By means of these tongues, TT, I have created a relative thickening of the washer material, and when the same is struck from spring steel, the multiple tongues constitute a resilient relative thickening of the washer adapted to take up or absorb side play or end thrust, and at the same time lessen friction. In-actual praclice, where the washers are small, I elect to have said tongues. T7, off-set on one side of the assembled washer only, so that the bearng surface on one side is approximately the entire surface of the washer, while on the other side the convex surface of the said tongues form the bearing surface against the almttin; surface of the joint or hearing. However, where a larger size of the washer allows cutting of a larger number of tongues. it is desirable to have the same project be yond the plane of the washer on both sides. thus increasing the absorptive function of the same by increased number, and further reducing friction in the joint or bearing.

The direction of the tongues 77 varies in order that the root of any one of them will enter between the abutting surfaces of a joint first, and pressure of the fingers to close the washer will successively compress them as the procedure progresses. I have designed the tongues to be crescentically formed in their longer dimension to avoid biting of the tips into abutting surfaces, and to alford a comparatively smooth sur face on the convex surface thereof. \Vithout such creseentic form the insertion of my washer into a joint would be comparatively much more diti'icult and the purpose of decreasing friction would in some measure be defeated.

Should the distal ends of halves l-1" be. struck out diametrically in Figure l, carelessness in bending tongue 15 into notches lQ-lZ might leave a gap between said ends, and I therefore prefer to strike out washer halves ll with distal ends serrated as at lti'lTl8--l9.

When properly assembled as shown and described, halves 1"1 are separated by manipulation of the fingers to straddle an axle, joint pin or the like, (Fig. 5), pushed back into normal closed position, (Fig. 1). and removably locked by bending tongue 15 into notches l2-1:2.

A modified form of locking means is shown in Figure 7, wherein a spring tongue, 18, is cut peripherally in the lug of one of the washer halves and slightly offset from the plane 019 the washer to impinge on a shoulder, 14, provided in the periphery of the other washer half. By pressing tongue 13 forwardly it will clear shoulder 14. and the washer halves swing freely on pivot 10.

It is manifest that many changes and departures from the. disclosures herein may be made in adapting the invention to various requirements of use and service without departing from the spirit of the invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A washer of the character disclosed comprising separable halves adapted to encircle a shaft or bolt in a hearing or joint for the purpose of eliminating side play between the abutting surfaces thereof; said halves being provided with perforated experipheral lugs hinged upon a pivot therethrough; and a locking means adapted to maintain said halves in a normal closed position.

2. A washer of the character disclosed comprising separable halves adapted to encircle a shaft or bolt in a bearing or joint for the purpose of eliminating side-play between the abutting surfaces of the same; said halves being provided with projecting perforated lugs and hinged upon a pivot therethrough; said halves being further provided with off-sets at the junction of each of said halves with its respective lug the same being adapted to insure alinement of said halves in approximate exact plane when assembled.

3. A washer of the character disclosed comprising separable halves adapted to encircle a shaft or the like; said halves being provided with perforated projecting lugs and hinged by a pivot therethrough; said lugs provided with notches in their periphery adapted to be in apposition when said washer halves are in normal closed position; and a locking means comprising an auxiliary washer of soft metal approximate in size to said lugs and against which one end of said pivot is upset; said auxiliary washer being provided with a projecting tongue adapted to be bent into said notches when in apposition.

4. A washer of the character disclosed, comprising separable halves adapted to encircle a shaft or bolt in a bearing or joint to eliminate side-play between the abutting surfaces thereof; said halves being provided with perforated ex-peripheral lugs hinged upon a pivot therethrough; said halves being further provided with multiple tongues out within the body thereof and off-set from the plane of the washer to constitute a resilient relative thickness of the same, said tongues being variously directed and formed crescentically in their longer dimension; and a locking means adapted to maintain said halves in normal closed position.

5. A washer of the character disclosed comprising separable halves struck from spring metal and adapted to encircle a shaft or the like; said halves being provided with perforated lugs wholly projecting beyond the periphery of the washer body and a pivot therethrough adapted to constitute a hinge by means of which said halves may be separated to straddle a shaft or the like and to encircle the same when closed; an auxiliary washer struck from soft metal and approximating the size of said lugs, against which one end of said pivotis upset; said auxiliary washer provided with a projecting tongue; said lugs provided with peripheral notches adapted to be in apposition to receive said auxiliary washer tongue when said halves are in normal closed posit-ion; said halves being further provided with corresponding offsets at the junction of the body and its respective lug adapted to afford approximately exact alinement of washer halves when properly assembled; said halves being further provided with multiple tongues cut in the body of the same and variously directed, said tongues being crescentically formed in their longer dimension and slightly offset from the plane of the washer, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OLIVER S. BARNUM. 

